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The Sorting Hat?

Do you think the Sorting Hat is a secret? In PS, Ron has that whole issue where he wonders what he'll have to do and then he's like "Oh, we just have to try on a hat!"
So...why didn't he know? Is he just ignorant? Or is it a secret from the little kids to make it more exciting?

I think the whole secrecy behind it was more a point of perspective thing than anything else. Harry didn't know about the Hat because he was raised by Muggles, and Ron's brothers might have refused to tell him about the Hat just for the sake for tormenting him.

We don't know necessarily that Hermione didn't know about the Hat (she did read, Hogwarts, a History cover to cover). She probably just didn't bring it up because there it was only one of a thousand things she could have told the boys about Hogwarts, and I doubt they would have say still long enough to hear them anyway.

I agree with OliveOil_Med; I always thought Ron's not knowing about the Sorting Hat was part of the tradition of older siblings hiding information from / lying to younger siblings. Most likely older Hogwarts students - like their Muggle counterparts - just enjoy encouraging anxiety in firsties. At my high school, for example, there was a tradition of trying to convince incoming freshman that there is a secret pool on the roof.

I think that's a little weird that the hat wouldn't be in Hogwarts a History. Wasn't the hat made by the founders? So it's not a new concept and it's definitely a big part of Hogwarts. In fact, the hat is almost central to Hogwarts; how could it be left out of the book?

I wouldn't rule out that the hat isn't mentioned in the book, just probably doesn't say HOW it sorts the students. Maybe Hermione knew about it, but thought that maybe she'd have to prove the hat of her... erm.. worthiness (wow serious word fail) of studying at Hogwarts.

With that being said, i think it was just the choice of the Weasley family to make little Ronnie suffer and fret.

I think that's a little weird that the hat wouldn't be in Hogwarts a History. Wasn't the hat made by the founders? So it's not a new concept and it's definitely a big part of Hogwarts. In fact, the hat is almost central to Hogwarts; how could it be left out of the book?

I totally agree. I'm sure that the hat must have been mentioned somewhere in the book. After all, it's so important, and its been around for ages. Either Hermione overlooked it (although I strongly doubt that), or she might have thought that they would have to do other things as well.

I'm sure most of the students know about it. I don't think all the first years were so surprised about seeing it, except the Muggle-borns. And about Ron, it was definitely just the older siblings hiding it from him .

And, like Carole says, Al Potter knew about it, so yeah, it can't be a secret, because otherwise Harry wouldn't have told him.